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The solar powered lighter flings sparks without fuel
Considering that the smokers in the house have probably already set up an import to get one of Golden Dragon's e-cigarettes shipped over, why not do yet another good deed and rid yourself of that fossil fuel-wasting lighter? All jesting aside, it seems that a Portuguese webstore is stocking a rather vivid new way to start fires (and open bottles, too) using the sun, and thankfully, it doesn't involve a magnifying glass and days of patience. The device is equipped with a built-in solar panel that reportedly utilizes sunlight or artificial light to charge up internal Li-ions, and with the presumed flick of a switch, the device flings out a "continuous series of sparks" that should get that pilot light going. Apparently, this thing isn't meant to be a flamethrower of any sort, but if you're out of matches and have tons of dry lint, you can snag one of these uber-green fire starters for €13.90 ($19).[Via UberReview]
Solar-powered beambots scurry about, shun batteries
While we wouldn't expect you to create your own city-powering solar tower in just 72 hours, the folks at MAKE have unveiled a sweet weekend project to get the frightened DIY novices in the crowd involved in robotics. The cleverly-dubbed beambot can be created from spare parts junking up your garage (or for the hardcore, your silverware drawer) as well as pre-packaged kits, and best of all, the energy required to bring these machines to life is available for free during standard daylight hours. The solar-powered bots don't do much besides walk around, explore the terrain, and become gradually less active as dawn approaches, but we're sure the more highly trained robotics engineers could bolt on a slingshot and quickly devise an underground beambot fighting championship. Regardless of your plans this weekend, be sure to visit the read link if you're dying for an excuse to cancel 'em.
Spanish solar tower could eventually power an entire city
Just last month we witnessed a gigantic skyscraper / solar tower hybrid that generates a whopping 390-kilowatts of energy, but even that looks like child's play compared to the 40-story solar power plant that resides in Spain. The expansive system consists of a towering concrete building, a field of 600 (and growing) sun-tracking mirrors that are each 120-square meters in size, and a receiver that converts concentrated solar energy from the heliostats into steam that eventually drives the turbines. Currently, only one field of mirrors is up and running, but even that produces enough power to energize 6,000 homes, and the creators are hoping to see the entire population of Seville (600,000 folks) taken care of solely from sunlight. So if you're eager to see what's likely the greenest solar power plant currently operating, be sure to slip on some shades, tag the read link, and peep the video.[Via Wired]
DIY solar heater constructed with aluminum cans
A solar-powered air conditioner doesn't do one much good during a Vermont winter, but rather than cranking on the heater (or huddling under the heated Hello Kitty mat) just to heat things up in a relatively small garage, a clever DIYer set out to concoct his own solar heater using scrap parts and a bit of free time. The solar wall was primarily built with black-painted soda cans, a wooden wall, plexiglass cover, and an inlet and outlet to channel the air around. The homegrown "solar furnace" captured the sunlight beaming onto the south side of the building, and as cool air found its way into the toasty cans and rose through drilled out portals, it managed to heat up a respectable 15-degrees Fahrenheit before escaping into the garage. The creator did note that his next attempt would sport a relocated inlet and be much larger in size, but if you're interested in putting a few in-the-way parts to good use next winter, be sure to hit the read link for a pictorial how-to.[Via HackNMod, thanks Joe]
Wireless Outdoor Solar Speaker rocks out on beaches, picnics
It's not like we had anything personal against the 80s style boomboxes that lasted a good half hour or so on eight D-cell batteries, but tagging one along to a day at the beach wound up getting pretty costly in a hurry. Joining the hordes of other eco-friendly and multi-faceted camping / outdoor gear is the Wireless Outdoor Solar Speaker, which is quite likely to be overlooked as a simple thermos at first glance. Atop the canister sits a solar panel that soaks up energy and uses it to pump out tunes through its (understandably weak) five-watt speaker. Additionally, a complimentary wireless (albeit battery-powered) transceiver allows any music source with a 3.5-millimeter output to be beam music to the solar speaker from "up to 150 feet away." Reportedly, the sun-lovin' device will run UK-based chaps £99.95 ($199), but that's assuming you can actually catch it in stock.[Via PopGadget]
Motorola patent will see LCD fitted with solar cell
Check the pic, is that cool or what? Actually, we're not very sure exactly what Moto is showing us with this picture, perhaps the recently approved patent application for the solar panel fitted LCD is sponsored by the letter "E"? The idea in concept is straightforward enough: your mobile's display could be designed such that it would have a solar cell built right in, so leaving your cell open (or maybe even while on a call, see below) would allow it to slowly recharge. The patent does reveal another interesting bit of info that reads "...at least some of the light passing from the front side and through the backside of the reflective liquid crystal display will illuminate," so we think this may well hint at a two-sided screen. We hope to see something from Motorola with this in it soon, and failing that, from whoever buys the idea.[Thanks, Tom]
UK's CIS Solar Tower garners 390-kilowatts from the sun
We're not entirely sure if Manchester's CIS Solar Tower will be the world's grandest solar tower, but in terms of buildings have moved beyond the drawing board, it definitely packs a punch. Reportedly, the flaky construction led to dilapidating walls, which were then replaced by a much greener solution -- 7,244 Sharp 80W photovoltaic panels, to be precise. Curiously, only 4,898 of the modules are actually functional, but they still soak up enough sunlight to generate 390-kilowatts of energy, or in layman's terms, enough juice to "power 1,000 PCs for a year." Additionally, the roof is home to two dozen wind turbines that generate 10-percent of the total power used in the building. Of course, such an endeavor did ring up at a steep £5.675 million ($11.4 million), but we're pretty certain this solar panel makeover was concerned with matters other than dollars and cents. Click on through for a top-down shot.[Via MetaEfficient]
Portasol Solar Tracker continuously faces the sun
Although solar panels are becoming more and more efficient, one of the most glaring oversights in solar technology has been the inability for panels to autonomously move along with the sun and maximize the energy it could take in. The Portasol Tracker, however, is aiming to change all that, as a market-ready rendition is finally set after seven years of testing. The Hydrasolar panel utilizes hydraulic motors along with sophisticated "passive solar trackers to affect the thermal expansion and contraction of a contained liquid to make the device rotate." Essentially, the movement of the liquid causes the panel to spin to the west along with the sun as the day passes on, ensuring that the maximum amount of energy is garnered during those precious daylight hours. Currently, a small selection of models and mounting options are becoming available, and while hard pricing doesn't yet seem to be available, feel free to hit the links below for a smattering of pics and even a quick video overview.[Via MAKE]
NSSO ponders harvesting solar energy via satellites
When you've already got colleagues dreaming up space sunshades, all of a sudden harvesting energy from outside of the Earth's atmosphere doesn't sound like such a stretch. Apparently, ambitious individuals at the Pentagon's National Security Space Office (NSSO) may "begin a study in the near future on the possibility of using satellites to collect solar energy for use on Earth." Notably, the plan actually seeks to not only provide an alternate source of fuel to the oil-dependent dwellers here on Mother Earth, but it would hopefully provide ample energy "to US troops in bases or on the battlefield." As impossible as it may sound, the present probably isn't a bad time to consider such an endeavor now that solar cells are becoming increasingly efficient, and since an actual deployment wouldn't even be in the cards until "around 20 years" from now, it's not like there's oodles of time to waste.[Via Wired]
Inventor shows off DIY solar-powered vehicle
It may not boast quite the same futuristic styling we've come to expect from some other enviro-friendly vehicles, but inventor Saqr Bin Saif's solar-powered vehicle here looks like it could outlast many of them on the road, and quite possibly run over some of them. It won't be getting anywhere very fast, however, as Bin Saif says the car can only reach a top speed of 50 kilometers per hour (about 30 mph), with four 170 watt solar panels supplying all the power and two batteries storing the energy. Then again, that's not too shabby for a DIY vehicle, which apparently took three months to build after four months of planning. While Bin Saif doesn't have any future plans for this particular vehicle, he doesn't seem to be giving up on the idea all together, saying he's now moving on to a new car that'll be smaller and faster.[Via Autoblog Green]
Electric Xebra Xero car to offer solar power option
If you prefer to zip around town with a green conscience, you'll be glad to know that electric car maker ZAP will offer a new photovoltaic panel option for its three-wheeled Xebra Xero models. Xebras get their main charge from a standard 110 volt outlet, but the solar panel can power short-distance trips all on its own. Compared to pricier, stranger-looking alternative energy vehicles, a Xebra Xero will give you not a bang, but a solid scoot for your buck, with a top speed of 40 mph and estimated price tag of $12,000. Xebra Xeros are best-suited for city use and are available as a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger pick-up truck. Though you might be a little embarrassed to pick someone up in a whip like this.
Solar-powered rollerblading Dubya-bot chariot
Modern advancements in rickshaw / chariot designs have given drivers' tired legs a chance to rest, but why not remove the driver altogether and employ a solar-powered, rollerblading robot in effigy of George W. Bush dressed as a Roman warrior? Unorthodox transportation inventor Bob Schneevis, also a professor of neurology at Stanford, juices up this 2-person chariot with two 24-volt batteries powered by solar panels on the roof of his garage. The Dubya-faced bot goes into rollerblading mode (a legs vs. wheels efficiency experiment) to tow the 2-wheeled chariot for a politically-charged, yet enviro-friendly ride. Yes, Schneevis isn't exactly subtle with the presidential propaganda, but we highly encourage you to focus on what's really important: applying green energy methods to rollerblading robot-powered chariots.[Via Autoblog Green]
US Tesco building to sport "world's largest" solar roof
Unbeknownst to most, we are lovers of our planet Earth and depend so much on solar power that we're often compared to the mighty Birdman. We cheered during Sanyo's CES keynote when it announced "Think GAIA," and now we come again to applaud Tesco. Joining forces with Solar Integrated Technologies, the British supermarket giant is set to build what it claims to be the "world's largest" solar roof on its new distribution center in California. By the end of the $13 million project, the roof will provide 1/5 of the facilities power and save "1,200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year." With all that said, now we have to go and ponder whether or not this is enough for us to leave our beloved Trader Joe's.
Dubai's Time Residences tower: world's largest gadget?
We've seen lots of ridiculous claims in our day, but this time we're not sure which is more absurd, that someone thinks that Dubai needs another ridiculous high-rise building, or that the Time Residences tower is going to be a solar-powered 360-degree rotating version. Yes, all that solar power (the UAE gets a lot of sun over there on the Tropic of Cancer) could be used to power individual units instead -- but instead, all that energy will be used to power the ginormous motors needed to turn this building a full rotation over the course of a week. Tav Singh, the director of Dubai Property Ring, the local branch of UK Property Group which is funding the project, said that the company plans on building similar structures in every time zone around the world. Regardless of which room in the Time Residences you decide to set up shop in, it's bound to be significantly more overpriced than your Manhattan studio.[Via Gear Factor]
Honda creates a solar cell subsidiary and factory, to be ready by late 2007
Honda announced late last week that it would establish a new subsidiary, Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., to make some swanky solar cells. This new variety, known in the biz as CIGS (copper, indium, gallium and selenium -- no, not those other environmentally-unfriendly kind), apparently require half of the energy needed to produce traditional solar cells. The Japanese plant, which is already under construction, is expected to be fully operational by fall 2007 with an annual capacity of 27.5 megawatts. Maybe if other automakers can lease some of this tech from Honda, those solar-powered rides will get a bit more budget-friendly -- or at least they might be able to use some of those savings on better industrial design.
Day-for-Night solar-powered geek dress
It may not have quite the instant geek-appeal of the pong dress, or the pain-inflicting potential of the self-defense dress, but the Day-for-Night solar-powered dress designed by Despina Papadopoulos should turn a few heads nonetheless. Made up of over 444 white circuit boards (depending on how long the dress is), the garment charges itself while in daylight, with RGB LEDs on each tile set to change color when the wearer's in low lit conditions. What's more, the dress also packs a 2.4GHz RF link, which can be used to receive commands from a computer to program how the tiles behave. Future plans for the dress include adding additional components like a GPS, accelerometer, and OLED displays, as well as publishing the complete source code and schematics so you put on your own geek couture hat. The dress was first unveiled at the recent SIGGRAPH conference but if you missed it there you can currently catch it on display at Chicago's A + D Gallery until October 21st.[Via We Make Money Not Art]
Venturi's Eclectic solar / wind-powered car
Forget biodiesel and fuel cell-powered vehicles, how about a whip that doesn't require any fuel whatsoever? The Venturi Eclectic, touted as an "autonomous energy vehicle," gets its charge from wind gusts and 8.2 square feet of solar cells atop its roof. The four-person ride boasts a 22-horsepower purely electric engine, is powered by liquid-cooled NiMH batteries, and can reach a (yawn-inducing) top-end speed of nearly 32mph. While it's no Wrightspeed X1, the designers had "daily driver" in mind when the Ecletic was crafted, but considering it'll only roll 31 miles on a full charge, you best take the scenic (read: sunny) route to work if you're facing a long commute. The car does sport an option to recharge via AC power, should you face darker (and calmer) than expected conditions, but since it weighs just 772 pounds, a foursome shouldn't have too much trouble using the tried and true "push method" if worse comes to worst. Scheduled for production in June 2007, this oh-so-green automombile will run you €24,000 ($30,511) -- if you can manage to score one of the 200 that'll be built, that is.[Via MobileMag]
Solar-powered wheelchair (not as bad as you think)
Australian Bob Triming wasn't satisfied with the power output of his electric wheelchair, so he did what anyone (with mad DIY skillz) would do, and rigged up an elaborate solar-power system to it -- stickin' it to the man while squeezing out an extra 30 minutes of power on sunny days. The rig consists of a pair of 20-watt solar panels that deliver the 24 volts required by the wheelchair, which, when not in use, can be detached or double as a handy umbrella. Of course no DIY project would be complete without LEDs, which Bob's got covered by tricking out the side and rear of the chair with a couple non-power-hungry lights to improve visibility. Thankfully it appears that the enhanced ride will still function just fine as a regular electric wheelchair, so you don't have to be worried about Bob getting stranded when the sun refuses to cooperate.[Via The Raw Feed]
Sergey Brin, solar phone user
Oh Sergey, those billions are serving you well. You're the first kid on your block to use a solar-powered cellphone, and not some crappy solar charger? Ok, we'd wager his phone isn't entirely solar-powered, but interesting to note that when you're worth as much as this guy, it's pretty easy to save pennies here and there by spending thousands on a phone that runs from the sun's rays. We also forgot what large hands those billions can buy you, too.[Via The Raw Feed]
Green WiFi project promises to bring solar-powered WiFi to developing countries
One of the big criticisms that's been leveled at the much-vaunted OLPC project is that it's missing one key element: internet access. Well, a pair of Sun Microsystems employees are looking to remedy that situation with the Green WiFi project, which promises to bring cheap, solar-powered WiFi to developing countries. The project's modeled on MIT's Roofnet wireless mesh network project (and isn't the only one, either), but takes things one step further by making each node solar powered, meaning that the network could be extended virtually anywhere. They've also taken care of the other big hurdle: price, using off-the-shelf gear and open source software to keep the nodes down to no more than $200 each. Although still in the prototype stage, the team says they're going to start deploying their first grid network in India later this summer, PVC or not.[Via Treehugger]
